Awards and Honours Global Responsible Tourism Award 2023 The Kerala Responsible Tourism Mission wins the Global Responsible Tourism Award 2023 for promoting sustainable and women-inclusive initiatives in the 'Best for Local Sourcing - Craft and Food' category. It won the award for linking women-led small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to tourism activities and ensuring effective marketing of indigenous products. The award was instituted by the Responsible Tourism Partnership and International Centre for Responsible Tourism (ICRT) World Organisations – Pacts and Summits Quad launches IPMDA initiative QUAD grouping launched the Indo - Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) initiative. The initiative seeks to establish a comprehensive system for monitoring and securing maritime activities in the Indo - Pacific, ensuring the safety of critical sea lines of communication, and promoting cooperation among likeminded nations in the region. About QUAD Formation – 2017 Objective - To counter China's aggressive behaviour in the Indo-Pacific region. Members - Australia, India, Japan, United States Quad Plus additional members - New Zealand, South Korea and Vietnam. Appointments New Chief Information Commissioner appointed Information Commissioner Heeralal Samariya was sworn in as the Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) by President Droupadi Murmu. He is the first person from the Dalit community to hold the post. About Central Information Commission (CIC) A statutory body set up under the Right to Information Act in 2005.